Locking arrangement



www@

Jan. 3l, 1967 A. WINKLER ETAL LOCKING ARRANGEMENT Filed July 29, 1964 INVENTORS G NMR Nm Arr R Mm E Sk LVA NSEC NAGA IANH WME RRW EEEE WTTB .LEmILU ADDH United States Patent O 3,301,584 LOCKING ARRANGEMENT Alfred Winkler and Dieter Maas, Munich, Dieter Engelsmann, Unterhaching, Munich, and Hubert Hackenberg,

Munich-Solln, Germany, assignors to Agfa Aktiengesellschaft, Leverkusen, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed July 29, 1964, Ser. No. 385,885 Claims priority, applicatoi (lesrmany, Aug. 31, 1963,

. 2 7 Claims. (Cl. 292-228) This invention relates to a locking arrangement for locking and unlocking a hinged lid to its housing and more particularly to such an arrangement for locking a lid to the housing of a photographic device.

One known locking arrangement for photographic de- `vices uses two plates which are squeezed together against the force of the spring to release a locking edge of the lid. The'simultaneous movement together of the two plates is not only difficult but also must be performed with one hand-because the camera must be held with the other hand. Additionally, the plates require channels or tracks for such a device 'to be utilizcd.` Another known arrangement utilizes two relatively small press locks. These -press locks are ditlicult to actuate because of their lsmall size, with the added disadvantage that they are spread too far apart to act simultaneously. Consequently, should one press lock be accidentally actuated, the camera lid partially opens and prevents the .press locking from automatically relooking when released. If the other press lock is actuated the camera completely opens to expose the film inside to light.

An object of this invention is to avoid the above disadvantages by p-roviding a locking arrangement for photographic devices which is both simple and effective in operation.

In accordance with this invention at least one hinged catch bar is mounted on the housing which is engaged by a latch on the lid to lock it to the housing. The catch bar is advantageously biased Ito its locked condition by a spring. Preferably, a pair of similar catch bars are mounted on the housing adjacent and in line with each other with a single leaf spring reacting in common against the remote ends of the catch bars tourge them into their lock position. The latchv on the lid accordingly includes a pair-oflatch elements having inclined leading surfaces for lifting the catch bars and abrupt rear shoulders for locking within the catch bars. The ends of threaded hinge pins may have their extent of 'projection into the path of the lid, moved to 'adjust the tightness of engagement of the latch.

In a particularly advantageous form of this invention, the catch bars pivot about threaded pins in a wall ofthe housing. adjacent a recess in which the catch bars are mounted. The cross section of the catch bars is advantageously U-shaped with the walls providing convenient catch elements, and a common curved leaf spring being conveniently retained within the interior of the catch bars with its ends in contact with the remote ends of the catch bars to urge them resiliently into the locked position.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. l is a three-dimensional view of one embodiment of this invention in a position close to being locked;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. l, in a partially locked condition, along the line II-II;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 2 along the line III- 111; and

3,301,534 Patented Jan. `3l, 196'? FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 in a fully locked position.

As shown in FIG. l camera housing 1 includes a rectangular frame 3 surrounding a recess 4 on a portion of housing 1 transverse to the edge contacted by lid 2. Curved leaf spring 5 is mounted within the walls of frame 3 as shown in FIG. 3. Threaded holes 6 and 7 extend in the wall of frame 3 adjacent lid 2 and there are respectively arranged holes 8 and 9 on the opposite wall of frame 3. Hole 9 is not shown in the drawings. A pair of threaded hinge pins 12 and 13 are engaged within threaded holes 6 and 7 and within respectively arranged holes 8 and 9 to rotatably mount each catch bar 10 and 11 within frame 3. As shown in FIG. 3 curved leaf spring 5 has its bent ends extending upwardly within the U- shaped cross section of bars 1i) and 11 and reacting against the downwardly inclined outer ends of bars 10 and 11 to urge catch elements 14 and 15 on bars 10 and 11 downwardly to the locked position.

As also shown in FIG. 3 the sides of bars 10 and 11 are widest adjacent pivot pins 12 and 13 with tapered remote ends to accommodate their depression within the recess as later described. Additionally there is suicient clearance under relatively shorter catch elements 14 and 15 for latch projections 17 and 18 on lid 2 to wedge under them and lift them upwardly against the action of spring 5.

As most clearly shown in FIG. 3, hinge pins 12 and 13 extend through the sides of U-sh'aped catch bars 10 and 11. Curved leaf spring 5 is conveniently held within frame 3 by its midportion reacting against housing land its ends reacting against the remote end of and within the U-shaped interior of catch bars 10 and 11. The remote ends of catch bars 10 and 11 are also inwardly inclined for smoothly engaging the inclined ends of leaf spring 5.

As shown in FIG. l, lid 2 includes a central tongue-like latch plate 16 disposed opp-osite recess 4 of frame 3, a pair of latching portions are mounted ony plate 16 opposite catch elements 14 and 15. Each projection 17 and 18 is somewhat frustoconical in shape and having an inclined leading surface and abrupt rear shoulders for locking within catch elements 14 and 15.

To lock hinged lid 2 to camera housing 1, lid 2 is pressed in the direction of arrow 19. Latch projections or elements 17 and 18 pry up catch elements 14 and 15 until shoulders 17u and 18a move past catch elements 14 vand 15. Catch bars 10 Iand 11 are then automatically returned to their original position by spring 5 and catch elements 14 and 15 drop behind shoulders 17a and 18a -to lock lid 2 firmly in place.

To unlock lid 2, two fingers are pressed against the outer ends of catch bars 10 and 11 on areas preferably roughened Aby grooves 10a and 11a and the like in the direction of arrows 20' and 21. This rotates bars 10 and 11 about hinge pins 12 and 13 against the force of spring 5 to release latch elements 17 and 18 from under catch elements 14 and 15. Lid 2 then opens by the force of a resilient film plate (not shown) or in reaction to a special spring (also not shown) adjacent the film or opening to the housing.

Advantageously, pivot pins 12 and 13 act as stops for adjusting the tightness of lit between latch projections 17 and 18 and catch elements 14 and 15 to insure intimate rattle-free engagement between them. This is accomplished by the depth of engagement of threaded hinge pins 12 and 13 within threaded holes 6 and 7 in frame 3. When pins' 12 and 13 are screwed entirely within holes 6 and 7, edge 29 of lid 2 can contact the wall of frame 3. When, however, threaded pins 12 and 13 are partially unscrewed to cause their ends to protrude slightly out of the wall of frame 3, edge 29 can no longer contact frame 3 as shown in FIG. 4. The amount of protrusion of pins 12 and 13 from frame 3 accordingly adjusts the closing positions of latch projections 17 and 18 thereby eliminating when play between them and any rattling between lid 2 and housing 1 when l-ocked together.

A particular advantage of this invention is the disposition of latch elements 17 and 18 and catch elements 14 and 15 close to each other. If `one of the catch bars or 11 is accidentally depressed, lid 2 remains effectively locked because the other catch bar is still engaged; and after release of the -accidentally pressed catch bar, it automatically returns to its locked position behind the latching projection. Contrary to this in other types of locks there is danger that unintentional actuation of one push button partially opens the lock, and another unintentional release of a second push button opens the lock entirely. This danger is eliminated by the proximity of the locking elements in this invention, which holds them in locking position when one is accidentally actuated. The remoteness of former dual locking arrangements from each other permits partial opening in the area of oneaccidentally individually actuated lock which prevents it from automatically relocking when it is released in contrast to this present invention in which an accidentally actuated member is relocked.

One latch bar 10 or 11 may also be used in conjunction with a single latching element 17 -or 18. Such, however, does not provide the aforementioned advantages as the illustrated dual arrangement for :a camera, It would also be possible for example in `a readily opened container for photographic devices -or the like to lock a front and rear lid to a central housing by one or two latch elements 10 and 11. Such a front lid could be a lens protection cap and the rear lid could be adjacent a back wall. For such -a device, frame 3 could have another opening channel into recess 4 within which another latching plate similar to plate 16 with latching projections 17 and 18 could be inserted. Catch bars 10 and 11 would then have another set of catch elements on their sides opposite the catch elements 14 and 15 for engaging the second set of latch elements similar to projections 17 and 18.

What is claimed is:

1. A locking arrangement for locking and unlocking a hinged lid to a housing comprising hinged catch bar means mounted on said housing, a latch means on said lid disposed for engaging said catch bar means when said lid is closed into contact with said housing whereby said lid is locked to said housing, said catch bar means being resiliently urged to engage said latch means by spring means reacting between said housing and said catch bar means, said catch bar means comprising a pair of similar catch bars mounted on said housing adjacent and in line with each other, said catch bars having remote ends, said catch bars having catch elements engaged by said latch means adjacent each other, said spring means reacting against said 'remote ends of said catch bars to urge them into the locked position, and said spring means -being a single curved leaf spring having a mid-'portion reacting against said housing and its ends reacting against the ends of said catch bars remote from each other.

2. A locking arrangement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said latch means comprises a pair of latch elements for engaging each of said -catch elements, and said latch elements comprising projections including leading surface for lifting said catch elements and an abrupt rear shoulder for locking within said catch elements.

3. A locking arrangement as set forth in claim 2 wherein said latch elements are mounted upon a single latch plate.

4. A locking arrangement as set forth in claim 3 Wherein said catch bars lare mounted on said housing by threaded hinge pins, said hinge pins being inserted in a portion of said housing contacted by said lid and the ends of said hinge pins having grasping means for adjusting the projection of said ends into the path of said lid whereby the tightness of engagement of said latching and said catching elements may be adjusted.

5. A locking arrangement as set forth in claim 4 wherein the portion of said housing adjacent said lid includes a recess, said hinge pins bridging said recess, said. catch bars being mounted within said recess, said latch plate projecting from said lid toward said recess, and a channel extending through the end of said housing of the said recess for passing said latch plate into said recess and engaging its latch elements with said catch elements disposed withn said recess in line with said channel.

6. A locking arrangement as set forth in claim 5 wherein the cross section of each of said catch bars is U-shaped, said hinge pins extending through the sides of said U, adjacent portions of said sides of said catch bars comprising said catch elements, said adjacent portions of said sides being shorter than intermediate portions of said sides whereby space is provided Ifor entry of said latch elements, remote portions of s-aidsid'es gradually tapering outwardly to accommodate depression of said remote portions of said catch bars into said recess, said leaf spring being confined within said recess and within the U-shaped interior ofvsaid catch bars, the outer ends of said remote portions of said catch bars being inwardly inclined for engaging the ends of said leaf spring, andthe ends of said leaf spring being inclined. for smoothly engaging the inclined ends of said catch bars.

7. A locking arrangement as set forth in claim 6 wherein the surface of said remote ends of said catch bars includes roughened areas to facilitate their manipulation.

. References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 894,374 7/ 1908 Vorn Eigen 292-19 2,104,562 1/1938 Johnson w 292-228 2,669,857 2/1954 Ramien 292-101 X 2,907,196 10/1959 Du'ttine -g L 70-67 2,946,269 7/1960 Maiershoffer 292-19 X EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

I. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LOCKING ARRANGEMENT FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING A HINGED LID TO A HOUSING COMPRISING HINGED CATCH BAR MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING, A LATCH MEANS ON SAID LID DISPOSED FOR ENGAGING SAID CATCH BAR MEANS WHEN SAID LID IS CLOSED INTO CONTACT WITH SAID HOUSING WHEREBY SAID LID IS LOCKED TO SAID HOUSING, SAID CATCH BAR MEANS BEING RESILIENTLY URGED TO ENGAGE SAID LATCH MEANS BY SPRING MEANS REACTING BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID CATCH BAR MEANS, SAID CATCH BAR MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SIMILAR CATCH BARS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING ADJACENT AND IN LINE WITH EACH OTHER, SAID CATCH BARS HAVING REMOTE ENDS, SAID 